On Sat, May 18 Roy Nettlebeck wrote:
 
     >Everyone of us can do just one thing to help. Even if it is
     >keeping someone in beekeeping.
 
     Roy, I agree wholeheartedly. And with regards to the list, I would
     like to recount my experiences about starting in beekeeping in the
     past few years.
 
     I am 25 and a novice beekeeper. I have three hives and have been in
     beekeeping a paltry two years. But the obstacles I've faced are
     amazing; the misinformation that the general public takes as fact is
     almost insurmountable.
        The only reason I even saw a hive of honeybees was because of a
     planned insecticide experiment at my company. I knew nothing about
     bees, beekeeping or what a hive looked like. The first time I visited
     a hive I was suited up like Neil Armstrong. Boy, did I feel silly when
     a female coworker was out there working the hive in a short skirt and
     no veil !!!!
        Honeybees are wonderful and (generally) docile creatures. But they
     have a terrible reputation, due mostly to mis-identification of yellow
     jackets as honeybees. In any case most people do want anything to do
     with them !!
        But this year, my enthusiasm has won out. I was able to bring two
     former beekeepers out of retirement, and I have so far recruited two
     new ones, who plan to keep their first hives next season. I have made
     it my mission to inform anyone who'll listen about beekeeping. I've
     made home videos of people working the hive to show people what's
     involved, and how much fun beekeeping can be as a hobby. I tape every
     PBS show I can about bees & beekeeping, to show people what they can
     get into.
        I know that now is probably the toughest time in beekeeping,
     because of mites and disease, but I sure plan to make it through. In
     the meantime, at the risk of losing a hive or two, I'm actively
     escorting neighborhood kids & their parents, etc., to hives to show
     them just how "cool" it is.
 
     As Roy said, our greatest gift as human beings is our ingenuity. We
     have the ability to adapt both ourselves and beekeeping. As much as we
     have to curtail disease & pests,we also have to continue to pass on
     the skills of beekeeping. I don't mean to be rude to my fellow local
     beekeepers, but around here in NJ, it's a pretty geriatric group.
     They're great and friendly guys & gals, but very slow to adapt, and in
     some cases, slow to accept newcomers.
 
     Knowledge is our greatest weapon.
 
     I apologize for the tirade, I just get very frustrated when I hear of
     the numbers (and they're quite large this season, it seems) of
     beekeepers with operations of all sizes folding up. I know
     economically some larger ones can't possibly help it, but the
     remaining beekeepers must be open with resources and knowledge to help
     this hobby (and industry) stay alive.
 
 
     I'll get off my soapbox now. And I certainly apologize if I've ruffled
     any feathers. That was certainly not my intention.
 
     To all you Bee-L subscribers, I'm always looking for new & interesting
     ways to educate the public. Any ideas are greatly appreciated.
 
 
                                                Mike Beluch